Zimbabwe gets 344,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine

A plane carrying 344,000 doses of Chinese anti-coronavirus vaccine Sinopharm arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, the second batch to reach the southern African country in a month.

Nick Mangwana, the permanent secretary of information, publicity and broadcasting, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa received the consignment at the Harare international airport.

“This batch has 344 000 doses comprising 200 000 donated by China and 144 000 bought by Government of Zimbabwe from Sinopharm,” he tweeted.

The country began the vaccination campaign in mid-February after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses of vaccine made by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm). 

So far Zimbambwe has confirmed over 36,000 cases of the coronavirus, including over 1,500 deaths. Information secretary Mangwana said earlier that vaccination gave the nation a fighting chance.